AMG Review of James Taylor: Best Live

William Ruhlmann
All Music Guide

Best Live is a 12-track, single-disc abridgement of the 30-track, double-disc (Live). The set focuses on songs dating from James Taylor's Warner Brothers years, including "Fire and Rain," "How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved by You)," and "Don't Let Me Be Lonely Tonight" (but not, curiously, "You've Got a Friend"). It also contains the Columbia hits "Handy Man" and "Your Smiling Face." The songs are well-performed, but most of this material is available in its original recordings on Greatest Hits.